Drawer suspension



Jan. 2, 1962 v. H. WILSON DRAWER SUSPENSION Filed June 9, 1960 R. VERNON H. VV/LSON INV H15 ATTORNEYS- United States Patent 3,015,532 DRAWER SUSPENSION Vernon H. Wilson, Metamora, 111., assignor to Metamora Woodworking Company, Metamora, 11]., a corporation of Illinois Filed June 9, 1960, Ser. No. 35,041 7 Claims. (Cl. 312-343) My invention relates to a new and useful improvement in a drawer suspension and more particularly to a pull drawer suspension whereby the drawer is adapted to be moved horizontally with respect to a cabinet structure.

An object of my invention is in the provision in a suspension of this character whereby the drawer so suspended will move freely and easily relative to the cabinet supporting structure.

A further object of my invention is in the provision in a suspension of this character whereby the full width of the drawer is supported at a plurality of points as it is caused to move relative to its cabinet supporting structure.

Yet another object of my invention is in the provision in a suspension of this character of rotatable supports for the drawer so that the same is easily moved relative to the cabinet.

A yet further and equally important object of my invention is in the provision in a suspension of this character of a guide means for the drawer during its transitional movement relative to its cabinet supporting structure.

Gther objects will appear hereinafter.

The invention consists in the novel combination and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter described and claimed.

The invention will be best understood by reference to the accompanying drawings showing the preferred form of construction, and in which:

FIG. 1 shows the drawer suspension in full and the associated cabinet supporting structure in dotted lines;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary side elevational detailed sectional view of the drawer and its drawer suspension;

FIG. 3 is a front elevational view of the drawers rear suspension support; and

FIG. 4 is a front elevational view of the drawers side suspension support.

This invention relates to structural elements that provide a suspension for a pull drawer. A drawer of the type to be movably suspended by the device of this invention is indicated by dotted lines in FIG. 1 and is sectionally detailed in FIG. 2.

The drawer consists of a bottom wall 10, front and rear walls 11 and 12 and side walls 13. Provided by the underside of the bottom wall exterior of the drawer is a center support 14 shown in section in FIG. 2.

The drawer is adapted to be contained in a cabinethaving a partial front wall 15 between a plurality of drawers thereof. The cabinet includes side walls 16 and 17 and a rear wall 18. Provided within the cabinet adjacent the rear wall 18 is a vertical rear center support 19. Provided within the cabinet and behind that portion of the front wall 15 that is shown in the drawings is a horizontal support 20.

The horizontal support 20 has formed therein cut-out portions 21 adjacent each end thereof. Adapted to be mounted in these cut-out portions 21 are rollers 22.

3,015,532 Patented Jan. 2, 1962 These rollers 22 are rotatably journalled on a shaft 23 carried by a mounting bracket 24. As shown in FIG. 4 this bracket 24 is substantially U-shaped and is provided with oppositely extending flanges 25. These flanges 25 are adapted to rest upon the upper face of the horizontal support 20 adjacent each of the opposite edges of the cut-out portions 21 as seen in FIG. 1. The shaft 23 is so carried by the mounting bracket 24 that it will cause a portion of the rollers 22 to extend above the horizontal plane of the flanges 25.

The vertical rear center support 19 is provided with a cut-out portion 26. Into this cut-out portion 26 is adapted to be positioned one leg 27 of an L-shaped supporting bracket 28. The opposite leg 29 of this L-shaped bracket 28 is adapted to lie in facial abutment with the rear face of the vertical rear center support 19 and be fixedly attached thereto by means of screws 30.

This L-shaped bracket 28 is adapted to support one end of a track member 31. This track member is formed to resemble an I beam. By this form of construction of the track member 31, there is provided parallelly extending oppositely disposed tracks 32 and 33 between the top flange members 34 and the bottom flange members 35 of the I beam.

The front end of this track member 31 is supported by a substantially Z-shaped mounting bracket 36. This Z-shaped bracket 36 is adapted to embrace the inner uppermost corner of the horizontal support 20 as seen in FIGS. 1 and 2. The Z-shaped bracket 36 has struck therefrom two vertically disposed arms or guide members 37. The guide members 37 provide therebetween a passage for the center support 14 of the drawer as seen in FIG. 2. Such passage is in substantial alignment with respect to the top flange 34 of the track member 31. The Z-shaped bracket 36 is mounted to the horizontal support 20 by means of screws 37' or the like.

Adapted to cooperate with the track member 31 is a wheeled support 38 for the drawer. This support 38 comprises an L-shaped bracket which has a leg 39 adapted to be fixedly connected by means of a screw 40 or the like to the exterior portion of the rear wall 12 of the drawer. The support 38 provides a seat 41 for the center support 14 of the drawer as seen in FIG. 2. The support 38 provides two spaced apart parallelly extending depending flanges 42. Each of these flanges rotatably carries a roller 43. These rollers 43 are adapted to be disposed in the tracks 32 and 33 of the track member 31. When the drawer is fixedly mounted to the wheeled support 38 and it is rollably mounted on the track member 31, and the drawer has its center support 14 inserted between the guides 37, the lower edges of the side walls 13 will engage the exposed portions of the rollers 22 mounted in the horizontal support 20 as seen in FIGS. 1 and 2. By this arrangement I have provided a rolling type drawer suspension which supports the drawer as it is moved relative to the cabinet onthree rotatable supports. These rotatable supports will carry the full weight of the drawer during its transitional movement relative to the cabinet.

Such transitional movement is also guided by the guides 37.

While I have shown a single drawer and supporting structure therefor, it is readily ascertainable that in a cabinet comprising a plurality of drawers each drawer will be so suspended.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred form of construction for carrying my invention into effect, this is capable of variation and modification without departing from the spirit of the invention. I, therefore, do not wish to be limited to the precise details of construction set forth, but desire to avail myself of such variations and modifications as come within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

l. A drawer roller suspension of the type described including a horizontally disposed track member fixedly carried within a cabinet, said track member providing a pair of parallelly extending oppositely disposed tracks, a movable drawer support adapted tobe fixedly connected at a predetermined point to a drawer to be movably supported thereby, said drawer providing a center support disposed in vertical alignment with respect to said track member, said movable drawer support having a lateral offset portion extending beneath the drawer and providing spaced apart confronting rollers adapted to be disposed in said oppositely related tracks and movable therethrough, means for supporting one end of the track member to a rear vertically disposed support provided by the cabinet, means for attaching the opposite end of the track member to a horizontal support provided by the cabinet, and a drawer guide means carried by said last mentioned attaching means for guiding the center support of said drawer as said drawer is moved relative to the cabinet.

2. A drawer roller suspension of the type described including a horizontally disposed track member fixedly carried within a cabinet, said track member providing a pair of parallelly extending oppositely disposed tracks, a movable drawer support adapted to be fixedly connected at a predetermined point to a drawer to be movably supported thereby, said drawer providing a center support disposed in vertical alignment with respect to said track member, said movable drawer support having a lateral otlset portion extending beneath the drawer and providing spaced apart confronting rollers adapted to be-disposed in said oppositely related tracks and movable therethrough, an L-shaped mounting bracket for supporting one end of the track member to a rear vertically disposed support provided by the cabinet, means for attaching the opposite end of the track member to a horizontal support provided by the cabinet, and a drawer guide means carried by said last mentioned attaching means for guiding the center support of said drawer as said drawer is moved relative to the cabinet.

3. A drawer roller suspension of the type described including a horizontally disposed track member fixedly carried within a cabinet, said track member providing a pair of parallelly extending oppositely disposed tracks, a movable drawer support adapted to be fixedly connected at a predetermined point to a drawer to be movably sup ported thereby, said drawer providing a center support disposed in vertical alignment with respect to said track member, said movable drawer support having a lateral ofiset portion extending beneath the drawer and providing spaced apart confronting rollers adapted to be disposed in said oppositely related tracks and movable therethrough, means for supporting one end of the track member to a rear vertically disposed support. provided by the cabinet, a substantially Z-shaped mounting bracket for attaching the opposite end of the track member to a horizontal support provided by the cabinet, and a drawer guide means carried by said last mentioned attaching means for guiding the center support of said drawer as said drawer is moved relative tothe cabinet.

4. A drawer roller suspension of the type described including a horizontally disposed track member fixedly carried within a cabinet said track member providing a pair of parallelly extending oppositely disposed tracks, a movable drawer support adapted to be fixedly connected at a predetermined point to a drawer to be movably supported thereby, said drawer providing a center support disposed in vertical alignment with respect to said track member, said movable drawer support having a lateral oifset portion extending beneath the drawer and providing spaced apart confronting rollers adapted to be disposed in said oppositely related tracks and movable therethrough, means for supporting one end of the track member to a rear vertically disposed support provided by the cabinet, means for attaching the opposite end of the track member to a horizontal support provided by the cabinet, a drawer guide means carried by said last mentioned attaching means for guiding the center support of said drawer as said drawer is moved relative to the cabinet, and roller supports disposed horizontally relative to said drawer guide means for cooperating with said movable drawer support for rolla'oly supporting the drawer within the cabinet,

5. A drawer roller suspension of the type described including a horizontally disposed track member fixedly carried within a cabinet, said track member providing a pair of parallellyextending oppositely disposed tracks, a movable drawer support adapted to be fixedly connected at a predetermined point to a drawer to be movably supported thereby, said drawer providing a center support disposed in vertical alignment with respect to said track member, said movable drawer support having a lateral offset portion extending beneath the drawer and providing spaced apart confronting rollers adapted to be disposed in said oppositely related tracks and movable therethrough, means for supporting one end of the track member to a rear vertically disposed support provided by the cabinet, means for attaching the opposite end of the track member to a horizontal support provided by the cabinet, and a drawer guide means carried by said last mentioned attaching means for guiding the center support of said drawer as said drawer is moved relative to the cabinet, said drawer guide means comprising two spaced apart vertically disposed arms struck from a portion of said last mentioned attaching means.

6. A drawer roller suspension of the type described including a horizontally disposed track member fixedly carried within a cabinet, said track member providing a pair of parallelly extending oppositely disposed tracks, a movable drawer support adapted to be fiedly connected at a predetermined point to a drawer to be movably supported thereby, said drawer providing a center support disposed in vertical alignment with respect to said track member, said movable drawer support having a lateral offset portion extending beneath the drawer and providing spaced apart confronting rollers adapted to be disposed in said oppositely related tracks and movable therethrough, an L-shaped mounting bracket for supporting one end of the track member to a rear vertical disposed support provided by the cabinet, a substantially Z-shaped mounting bracket for attaching the opposite end of the track member to a horizontal support provided by the cabinet, a drawer guide means carried by said last mentioned attaching means for guiding the center support of said drawer as said drawer is moved relative to the cabinet, said drawer guide means comprising two spaced apart vertically disposed arms struck from a portion of said Z-shaped mounting bracket, and roller supports disposed horizontally relative to said drawer guide means for cooperating with said movable drawer support for rollably supporting the drawer within the cabinet.

7. A drawer roller support and guide comprising a wheeled drawer support having means providing a seat for the innermost rear corner of the drawer to be supported thereby, a horizontally disposed track member fixedly carried within a cabinet containing the drawer, said track member providing a pair of parallelly extending oppositely disposed horizontal tracks, said wheeled support providing a pair of spaced apart wheels positioned beneath said corner of the drawer in each of said tracks with each wheel having an axle extending at right angles to its associated track, means for supporting said track member within said cabinet in a position whereby it will underlie a center support of the drawer to be supported thereby, a guide means provided by said supporting means for guiding the center support of the drawer as the drawer is moved over said track member, and roller supports disposed horizontally relative to said guide means for cooperating with said wheeled drawer support for rollably supporting the drawer Within the cabinet.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Kandle July 26, 1898 Brewer Mar. 4, 1952 FOREIGN PATENTS Switzerland J an. 2, 1934 Great Britain May 4, 1955 

